Depth-shell.



L. T. BATES.

DEPTH SHELL.

APPLICATION mso 1AN.23, |918.

Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

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(MAT Gnome d L. T. BATES.

DEPTH SHELL.

APPLICATION man mma. 19m.

Patented Aug. 5. 1919.

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L. T. BATES.

DEPTH SHELL.

APPLICATION Flu-:n ma. 2a.

ma. Patented Aug, 5, 1919 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- LINDELL T. BATES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DEPTH-SHELL.

Specication of Letters Patent.

l Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

Application filed January 23, 191B. Serial No. 213,825.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LINDELL T. BATES, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Depth- 4 which, nevertheless, will explode when. it

has 4passed into `the water a l given depth, and only then.

A further object of the invention is to' produce a mechanism which will meet all service specifications and requirements as laid down by the Army and Navy.`

With these and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, referente` will be had to the annexed drawings, wherein:

I`i ure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the parts in their locked or safe position previous to firing the shell `from the gurl.;

Fig. 2 a like view showing the parts in the positions which they assume aftpp firing and during flight;

Fig. 3 a similar view, illustrating the position assumed by the parts upon impact of the shell with the water;

Fig. 4 an enlarged sectional view with the g parts shown in firing or detonatin position;

Fig. 5 a cross sectional view, lustrating the hydrostatically-controlled 4barrier 1n the same position as shown in Fig. 4; a

Fig. 6 a perspective view of such barrier and one of the actuating pistons or diaphragm-S;

Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive detail sectional views showing the centrifugal lock for the striker or hammer;

Fig. 1l a detail sectional view, a modified form of the piston and barrier;

Fig. 12 a side elevation of such parts; and

Figs. 13 and 14 detail views of a modified form of centrifugal locl.

Broadly stated, the invention may be said to comprise an explosive shell having showing associated therewith a firing-pin for the detonating charge, a lock operated by centrifugal action to release and permit said pin or striker to move forwardly when the shell is in flight to arm the same, and a hydrost-atically-controlled barrier for arresting the movement of the hammer or pm, said barrier acting, when the shell reaches a given depth, to release the striker and to allow it to be thrown or forced into contact with the rimer through the actionof a spring whic when the shell hits the water, is placed under compression.

.In the drawings and having reference to Figs. 1 to 10 inclusive, 1 denotes the shell body, the forward end4 being broken away in Figs. 1 to 3, and charged with any approved type of explosive, not shown. Extending transversely of the shell and pro- 'eating'.V into oppositely-disposed openings f ormed in the walls of the shell, is a crossblock or element-2, and overlying the ends of said element and screwed into the shell body are cap-pieces 3, each having a valve- 'seat 4 formed therein. In each of the outer ends of the element 2 there is formed a cy- 5) alining with the wall 6 formed in the cap 3 immediately below the valve-seat 4. A piston valve 7 is mounted in each chamber, the valve being normally held against its seat 4 by a light spring 8, and each piston is provlded with an inwardly-extending stem 9. Said stems are mounted in openings extending radially through the element 2 and terminating in a centrally-disposed chamber 10. Each stem is internally threaded and a second stem, as 11, is screwed into the same,- one of said second stems carrying a pair ofv separated plates 12, while the other has secured to it aplate 13, thatv passes'between the lates 12, the parts having a sliding fit. he plates are provided withtransverse openings 14, which under certain conditions are adapted to be brought into .registry to permit the firing pin oi' hammer to pass therethrough. In other words, `these plates form a barrier against the forward movement of the firing-pin and are only moved out of the path thereof when the shell reaches a given depth, all of which will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

Extending axially of the shell and secured in the cross element 2, is a tubular member 15, though if the tube may member.

rear p ing from the is not essential, as sustained by the' mem forward in the shell. nermost end of for containing at the rear en partition] which extends re bore of the tube point, form reduced section is m nate or cap-carrier provided with spri (Fig. 4) ad forward un shell with the water shoulder '19. and against the normally h ainst a shoulder 23. The stri er, hammer, noted by 24 tion of the pa in the bore 2 rtion in con p ated safety device, 7 to 10.

o 2i as roundin s prm arts w en m the diameter o 26 and 27, through een 4o move from the p and 8 to 'th To maintain employ illustra 46 pivotally ment 26, a pin 30, w

siii

actuated locking det o5 plunger is thrown desired the forward section of take the form e construction i f the tube is sho rear wall of the of a separate llustrated the wn as ext/end' 34, shell, but this located Well The forward or ine forms a chamber 16, charge, and ted a from the detonating d of the chamber is loca tral o ening er 18. The uoed at this ulder 19, and in such ing fulmibeing in d detents 21 en the carrier is moved f impact of the lock with the directly Spring 22, rearmost 7 having a een arwardly a col is slightly red der the action o the carrier f collar 18.- olds the carrier ir. its

pin is ded under safe posits rear end supported 15, with its forward eentrifugally shown in detail in prise two ts 26, ct by a surbetween the less' than' The members flight, tend, parate or to n Figs.

9 and 10. ition I may anism, that fingers 29, ne end to the eleend of each carries t or groove 31,

e terminattion 32.

tact with a be said to com arcshaped elemen held in edge oo nta the opening` this position f the striker.

e Shell is in trifugal action, to se osition shown 1 osed in Figs hem in such pos ble locking mech ted comprisingI a connected at o while the other hich takes into a slo ber 27, said groov dly-extending sec 7 are separ in an eutwar en the elem fingers or l in Figs. 9 an rotating the spring 2 parts the war ly-extendin limbs are ward the 33 denotesa plunger 0r in the bore 25, an striker 24 by a spring 3 ated the 9 assume the position shown d when the shell ceases es when it enters the water, 8 is prevented from drawing the of the fact that and in the outon 32. and the winging back tosuch time st weight, located ted from the 4. The plunger at ided with spring 35, which, when the forwardly upon impact plun When

tance than woul nection is lengt the pistons will have tance to bring the openi .gperto permit the sh igs. 24. By

the ad] ustment may the degree Vthereof half-turns to the direction. An in on the shell a facilita-tes ready ad While the springs 8 se tons in their outermost shell enters the wa (due to rotation of hold them outwardly. In Figs. 11 and 12 ment of the pi shown. Instea nection between barrier, I provi sion of the s ring may spring place when it is desir move inwardly only up of hydrostatic pressure case where the spring To this e compre th an inwardly-proie the fixed Wa of the shell with the water. enga der 3G, as in Figs. 3 and 4, un er in its forward position, uring such forward laced under compression, which time the striker is barrier (plates from moving forw shell reaches a pre water, the pressur valves or plungers inwardly so `as to register and permit t the striker forwardly the contact with the primer, exp and thereby causing a fi or booster char with a resultant exp The distance the s the surface and determined b shortening or l tion between th and 13. shortened the s 12 and 13) ard.

of the w engthen em and the barr the screw connection is hell will pass a grea d be the case when the com hened, for the reason that to travel a greater disngs 14 into register rward of the striker given pitch,

ooting fo ing threads` of a be readily elle ined' by imparting istons in one or the other eX-mark 37, Fi 6, formed nd the outer face o justment.

ed that t ge a should lock lluas m Fig. 3, :it held against the and prei cnted Vhen. however, the determined depth in the thereof on the piston 7, 7 will move the latter bring t heir openings into ing 34 to shoot rethrough and into loding the same,

i the detonate in the chamber 16, osion of the shell. hell will travel beneath ater may be regulated y turning the plungers and ing the screw connecier plates 12 determ hold the pisposition, until the centrifugal action the shell) also acts to a modified arrangerating the barrier is threaded coneater compression he piston 40 shall on a greater degree than would be the was under a light nd the piston is pro cting skirt 41,

. The nut is proorks in a groove hich is screwed d bushing serves to d forms the cylint one end against r 2, while its upder face of the nut 42. A swivel connection is formed between the inwardly-projecting stem 47 of the piston and the stem 48 of the barrier plate 49. Said barrier plates overlap, as best shown in' Fig. 11, and are held against rotation by contact with each other and the adjacent wall of the memb'er 2. By turning the piston 40 in one or the other direction, the nut is raised or lowered, and the degree of compression of the spring .46 is conse quently affected. 'Ihe'positionf the barrier plates, however, remains the same; this by reason of the swivel connection between the parts 47 and i8.

In Figs, 13 and 14 a modified for'mvof centrifugal lock is shown, whereinthe two segmental members are indicated, respec tively, by 50 and 51, one member (say, 51) having attached thereto leaf or plate springs 52, the free ends of which, when the parts are in their closed or collapsed position, extend into slots or openings v53 formed in the o posite element 50. Said openings are shou der'ed adjacent their inner ends, as at 54. When the parts are vthrown l apart through vcentrifugal action, the free ends of the springs are withdrawn from the slotsA 53 and pass over and come'torest upon the shouldered portions 54; this by reason of lthe spring action of the members 52, thereby securely holding the partsintheir separated positions, as shown 1n Fig. 14. An. encircling spring 55A may be employed, though this is not essential as the parts, by reason of the spring action of the members 52, will under normal conditions retain the positions shown in Fig. 13. In other words, the slots 53, being slightly divergent or at an angle to each other,- cause thesprings 52to' draw the members 50 and 51 toward e'ach other.-

So, too, with the guard shown in Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive, the surrounding spring 28 mi ht be omitted.

-V'hile in Figs. 13 and 14 both springs 52 are shown as attached to one member, it is obvious that one spring may be attached to one member and the other to the opposite member.

I am aware that heretoforehand-thrown bombs having a hydrostatically-oontrolled mechanism to allow them to explode when they have reached a given depth have been devised, but I am not aware that a shell or projectile adapted to be fired from a n and which will only explode when i't-reailes a given depth in the water has been produced, and such an arrangement I desire to claim broadly. The term ployed in the applicationr should be interpreted in the light of this statement.

It is, of course, to be understood that i the particular hydrostatic mechanism might be employed with hand-thrown bombs, in

, which event the centrifugal lock and the spring 22 would be omitted, the cap placed ystriker' in safe osition,

adapted, when the shell has `under initial com ression.

WhileV I have escribed the construction somewhat in detail, it is manifest 'that the ysame may be modified 'without departing from the generic invention. Thus, any of the well-known and commercial centrifugal locks.V may be Aemployed for holding the and the hydrostatica'lly o' rated arrier ma)T assume a form other t an that disclosed. y Havingthus described my invention, what Iclaimls: i.

1. In combination withV a shell" a striker fordetonating the same a barrier o tructng the movement ofthe striker intoactive posiition; a lpiston connected with the barrier,

said piston Vbeing exposed vand being movable under hydrostatic pressure to remove the barrier out of the and a spring adjustab e as to tension for holding the piston against hydrostatic pressure.

2. In combinationwith ashell; a striker Vfor detonatin -the same; a pair of opposed pistons exten ing to the outer face of the shell; 'and overlapping perforate elements connected tosaid plstons, said elements normallyyobstructing the movement of the striker but rmitting the same to pass therethrough w en .the lpistons are moved inwardly under hydrostatic pressure and the erforations in the elements are brought lnto registry.

3. In combination with a shell; a striker; a centrifugal guard preventing initial forward movement of the striker; a plunger; a spring interposed between said striker and plunger; a lock for holding the plunger for war and the spring under compression after impact; a barrier for the striker; and means associated with the barrier and moved a given depth into a body of water, to remove the barrier and to permit the striker to be forced forwardly.

4. In combination with a shell; a chamber adapted to' contain a detonating charge; a movable cap-carrier' a spring holding said carrier away from t e detonating chamber; locking means adav ted to hold the carrier in active position wit reference to the detonating chamber when said'ca'rrier is moved for- Award under impact a striker; a centrifugal ard preventing initial forward movement ofthe striker; a. lun r; a spring interosed between sal stri' er and plunger; a

y ock for holding the plunger forward and the spring under compression after impact;

`a barrier for the striker; and means assoath of the 'striker; y

In combination with a shell; a, striker; and a centrifugal guard therefor, said guard comprising two members and a pair of springs, each sprin being rigidly secured at one end to one o 'the members and passing into a slot formed in the o posite member, the slots having a shoul ered portion a ainst which the end of the spring bears w en the parts are separated through centrifu al action.

6. n combination with a shell; a striker; and a centrifugal guard therefor, said guard comprising two members, one member having a pair of diverging slots formed therein with a, shoulder at the inner end of each slot, and a pair of spring arms secured to the opposite member, said arms normally closing toward each other and adapted to enter the slots aforesaid.

7. In combination with a shell; a detonating mechanism; and a hydrostatically-operated barrierA for holding said debonating mechanism out of operation until the shell has passed int/o the water a given depth, said barrier comprising a iston-like member, a spring serving to hol Vthe same outwardly against the ressure of the water, a nt having a three ed connection with said piston, and an element carried by said piston and extending into thepa'th of the detonating mechanism. l y

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. i

LINDELL T. BATES. 

